Orange Moon Saturday, November 22, 2025 Saturday, November 22, 2025

    

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

Pen and Ink Edition

    

    

"Directed Paths"  

    It is a wonderful thing to begin our days not attempting to figure out what to do, but rather to look to our Lord for His guidance.

    "My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up. For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness" (Psalms 5:3-4).

    The Psalmist clearly suggests that wickedness lurks near if we do not "look up" at the outset of our day.  Solomon confirms the protocol: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6)

   Of course, this does not mean we do not use our minds, make plans, and seek to chart the best possible course for the day.  As the axiom suggests, "If we fail to plan, we plan to fail."  Scripture clearly calls us actively engage our minds to determine what we will do, and how we will do it.  We do so, however, by first looking to our Heavenly Father for His necessary direction and promise of enabling to determine and fulfill our determinations:  "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.  I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm 32:8).

   What a gift, that we do not have to live our lives merely by our own understanding and awareness.  God calls us to be confident in His many Biblical assurances to direct our lives through the wisdom He provides by His Spirit, His Word, His people, and His providential working in our lives.   "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (James 1:5-7). 

   

    We do not always follow God's guidance in our present lives of imperfect response.  However, as we more consistently seek to avail ourselves of His direction, we will more consistently respond to the Holy Spirit's guidance for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  "The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).

     Born again believers in the Lord Jesus do not have to live this day by our own inadequate understandings and perceptions.  Our Lord rather calls us to trust Him for His leadership.  He will gladly honor our humility and faith, as so often promised in His Word and so often experienced by those who trust Him.  Our response will not be perfect, but it can be more and more consistent as we expect God's guidance, and as we avail ourselves of the gifts He has given whereby we honor the Lord Jesus, serve as His blessing to others, and find our own hearts kept in the peace of His providential guidance.

"For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."

(Psalm 31:3)

Weekly Memory Verse

     Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

(Proverbs 16:3)

7643

   

Orange Moon Friday, November 21, 2025 "A Moment Away"

    

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

    

"A Moment Away"  

    As I write these words,Thanksgiving as an annual observance in the United States is 6 days away.

    As I write these words, thanksgiving as an expression of gratitude to God is but a moment away.

    "Pray without ceasing.  In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:17-18).

    The Apostle Paul immediately follows his mandate regarding a life lived in prayer by calling us to the giving of thanks as the first expression of communion with God.  This does not discount or minimize other aspects of prayer such as praise, affirmation, request, intercession, and confession of sin.  However, a truly thankful heart will likely express itself in a full panorama of prayer as gratitude creates an atmosphere of faith that results in a comprehensive fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

    "In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6).

   Certainly, this involves giving thanks for the innumerable blessings of life.  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).  The longer we walk with God, the more we all feel a great deficit in expressing gratitude to Him.  How undeservedly generous He has been to all of us in ways we know, and in ways we cannot perceive because of the sheer preponderance of His grace.

    "Heavenly Father, for those gifts You have given, but for which we did not give thanks, we do so now.  As the old hymn declares, 'Out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.'  We realize this, and we also know that we have too often failed to express our gratitude.  For those opportunities missed in moments at hand, we are sorry and we give thanks in this moment."

    It is also true that we may not have given thanks "in everything" regarding the challenges, pains, and difficulties of life.  The Lord meets us there as our "very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).  From minor irritations, to difficult dilemmas, to heartache and heartbreak, God works in all things to fulfill His loving purpose in our hearts and lives (Romans 8:28).  "All things."   Indeed, our Father does not have to directly determine everything that occurs in our lives in order to coordinate all for His glory and our benefit (James 1:13).  He is rather so present, so active, so involved, so wise, so powerful, and so overcoming of devilish and carnal devices that the deepest darkness can become the filament for the brightest glow of light in the Lord Jesus (see the cross of Calvary for confirmation).  It can also become a sacred opportunity to honor our Savior as "in everything" as we give thanks.

    "Father, we thank You that no challenge has arrived on our doorstep that did not makes its way to us by the path of Your determining or allowing providence.  We thank You that You are more than able and more than willing to weave "all things" into the blessed "good" of Romans 8:28-29, the promised assurance of conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus.  We therefore choose to give thanks for those matters that seem unlikely prompts to gratitude, but which may one day be realized to have been the scene of Your greatest bestowals of grace."

   Gratitude in the heart and thanksgiving upon the lips cannot be overemphasized or overstated in its honoring of our Lord, its holy effect in our hearts, and its blessing of our spheres of influence.  Yes, Thanksgiving is six days away.  But no, thanksgiving is ever and forever but a moment away…

"I will give thanks unto Thee forever."

(Psalm 30:12)

Weekly Memory Verse

     Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

(Proverbs 16:3)

7642

   

Weekly Memory Verse

     Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

(Proverbs 16:3)

7640